---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most stressful and difficult part of…"
description: "\"The most stressful and difficult part of steering a large movie is that you are taking on the responsibility of communicating with a very wide audience..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/christopher-nolan-2670_audience_the-most-stressful-and-difficult-part-of_2572950.jpg"
---

#  The most stressful and difficult part of steering a large…

![“The most stressful and difficult part of steering a large movie is that you are taking on the responsibility of communicating with a very wide audience. You can't ever hide behind the notion of, 'Okay, they just don't get it,' or, 'Certain people just don't get it.' You have to be mindful of the…” quote by Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/christopher-nolan-2670_audience_the-most-stressful-and-difficult-part-of_2572950.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/christopher-nolan-2670_audience_the-most-stressful-and-difficult-part-of_2572950.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/christopher-nolan-2670_audience_the-most-stressful-and-difficult-part-of_2572950.jpg)

> “The most stressful and difficult part of steering a large movie is that you are taking on the responsibility of communicating with a very wide audience. You can't ever hide behind the notion of, 'Okay, they just don't get it,' or, 'Certain people just don't get it.' You have to be mindful of the size of your audience, and you have to communicate in a way that lets them in.”

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Effective communication requires acknowledging a broad audience and avoiding excuses for misunderstanding.

**In simple terms:** Speak clearly to everyone, don’t blame them.

Key Takeaway

Consider audience size in messaging.

Themes

communication responsibility leadership

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

advice leadership.

When to use this quote

- film directing
- public speaking
- team meetings
- marketing campaigns

Key Concepts

audience theory message framing empathy

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you tailor messages for varied listeners?
- What excuses hinder clear communication?

A Different Perspective

Audience diversity can make clear messaging challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/)

## Related quotes

> [In my view, the only way to see a film remains the way the filmmaker intended: inside a large movie theater with great sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/in-my-view-the-only-way-to-see-a-film-remains-the-way-the-filmmaker/)

[Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/)

> [As any speaker will tell you, when you address a large number of people from a stage, you try to make eye contact with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mainwaring/as-any-speaker-will-tell-you-when-you-address-a-large-number-of/)

[Simon Mainwaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mainwaring/)

> [Not every show needs to reach the same size of audience, or same width, of a ‘Sopranos,'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-naegle/not-every-show-needs-to-reach-the-same-size-of-audience-or-same-width/)

[Sue Naegle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-naegle/)

> [The size of your audience doesn't matter. What's important is that your audience is listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/the-size-of-your-audience-doesn-t-matter-what-s-important-is-that/)

[Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/)

> [“In that moment, I learned a simple lesson about being awesome: always play to the size of your heart, not to the size of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/in-that-moment-i-learned-a-simple-lesson-about-being-awesome-always/)

[Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/)

> [It seems like every ten years there's a book that says that poetry used to be popular, and now it's not, but we really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/it-seems-like-every-ten-years-there-s-a-book-that-says-that-poetry/)

[Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/)

> [The potential audience seems to be dwindling in the states. I was kind of embarrassed for the band because of the size of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/the-potential-audience-seems-to-be-dwindling-in-the-states-i-was-kind/)

[Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/)

> [I want to be interested in the music I make until I die. That's more important to me than the size of my audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arca/i-want-to-be-interested-in-the-music-i-make-until-i-die-that-s-more/)

[Arca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arca/)

> [A lot of people, musically anyway, have realized that they can do it, and there's an audience for it at least in their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/a-lot-of-people-musically-anyway-have-realized-that-they-can-do-it/)

[David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/)

> [I wanted this to have as wide an audience as possible. I didn't want to get an X rating, because in my opinion once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-plato/i-wanted-this-to-have-as-wide-an-audience-as-possible-i-didn-t-want/)

[Dana Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-plato/)

> [I was able to tour successfully and attract a fairly wide audience, but it was hard to assert myself as a stand-up because people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/i-was-able-to-tour-successfully-and-attract-a-fairly-wide-audience/)

[Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/)

> [Political stories in general are tough. They just don't appeal to as wide an audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callie-khouri/political-stories-in-general-are-tough-they-just-don-t-appeal-to-as/)

[Callie Khouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callie-khouri/)

> [Before the widespread rise of the Internet and easy publishing tools, influence was largely in the hands of those who could reach the widest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/before-the-widespread-rise-of-the-internet-and-easy-publishing-tools/)

[Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/)

> [“but how to establish a process by which a sales team of modest size can move the product to a wide audience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/but-how-to-establish-a-process-by-which-a-sales-team-of-modest-size/)

[Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/)

> [If you look at the statistics, I genuinely understand why when we go to a production company or a broadcaster, and they say our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joivan-wade/if-you-look-at-the-statistics-i-genuinely-understand-why-when-we-go/)

[Joivan Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joivan-wade/)

## More by Christopher Nolan

> [In Hollywood there's a great openness, almost a voracious appetite for new people. In England there's a great suspicion of the new. In cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/in-hollywood-there-s-a-great-openness-almost-a-voracious-appetite-for/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [“COBB: You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/cobb-you-re-waiting-for-a-train-a-train-that-will-take-you-far-away/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [When you play a videogame, you could be a completely different person than you are in the real world, certain aspects of the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/when-you-play-a-videogame-you-could-be-a-completely-different-person/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [The structural notions to me always have to be worked out very carefully in the script stage. Whatever a particular structure is. Whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/the-structural-notions-to-me-always-have-to-be-worked-out-very/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [I made 'Batman' the way I made every other film, and I've done it to my own satisfaction - because the film, truly, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/i-made-batman-the-way-i-made-every-other-film-and-i-ve-done-it-to-my/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [The quality of racing continues to excel with starters increasing to 1496,.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/the-quality-of-racing-continues-to-excel-with-starters-increasing-to/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [I remember the initial genesis quite clearly. My interest in dreams comes from this notion of realizing that when you dream you create the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/i-remember-the-initial-genesis-quite-clearly-my-interest-in-dreams/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [If I could steal someone's dream myself, I'd have to go for one of Orson Welles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/if-i-could-steal-someone-s-dream-myself-i-d-have-to-go-for-one-of/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [To me, any kind of filmmaking that's reactive is not going to be as good as something more inventive and original.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/to-me-any-kind-of-filmmaking-that-s-reactive-is-not-going-to-be-as/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [Why do we Fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/why-do-we-fall-so-we-can-learn-to-pick-ourselves-back-up/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [Every great story deserves a great ending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/every-great-story-deserves-a-great-ending/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [“(On "Following") We've got a pretty serious claim on being the cheapest film ever made.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/on-following-we-ve-got-a-pretty-serious-claim-on-being-the-cheapest/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [Particularly, the actors, to have analyzed the script in great detail from the point of view of their specific character. So that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/particularly-the-actors-to-have-analyzed-the-script-in-great-detail/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [I've never read Joseph Campbell, and I don't know all that much about story archetypes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/i-ve-never-read-joseph-campbell-and-i-don-t-know-all-that-much-about/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

> [I'm taking a bit of a wait-and-see attitude towards 3D.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/i-m-taking-a-bit-of-a-wait-and-see-attitude-towards-3d/)

[Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

[Explore all 155 Christopher Nolan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/)

## More Audience quotes

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/)

[Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/)

> [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/)

[Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/)

> [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/)

[Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/)

> [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/)

[An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/)

> [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/)

[Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/)

> [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/)

[Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/)

> [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/)

[Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/)

> [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/)

[Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/)

> [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/)

[Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/)

> [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/)

[J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/)

> [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/)

[Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/)

> [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/)

[John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/)

[Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The most stressful and difficult part of steering a large movie is that you are taking on the responsibility of communicating with a very wide audience. You can't ever hide behind the notion of, 'Okay, they just don't get it,' or, 'Certain people just don't get it.' You have to be mindful of the size of your audience, and you have to communicate in a way that lets them in.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Christopher Nolan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/the-most-stressful-and-difficult-part-of-steering-a-large-movie-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Audience"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/the-most-stressful-and-difficult-part-of-steering-a-large-movie-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/christopher-nolan-2670_audience_the-most-stressful-and-difficult-part-of_2572950.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/christopher-nolan-2670_audience_the-most-stressful-and-difficult-part-of_2572950.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/christopher-nolan-2670_audience_the-most-stressful-and-difficult-part-of_2572950.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The most stressful and difficult part of steering a large movie is that you are taking on the responsibility…” — Christopher Nolan",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Christopher Nolan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The most stressful and difficult part...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/the-most-stressful-and-difficult-part-of-steering-a-large-movie-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/the-most-stressful-and-difficult-part-of-steering-a-large-movie-is/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
